According to the Waxhaw Police, five-year-old Makayla Woodard was off from school because of icy roads and was enjoying a day playing when two pit bulls approached the child and attacked. Makayla’s grandmother, 67-year-old Nancy Presson, tried to save her granddaughter – a futile pursuit that left her with a severely injured arm.

When Waxhaw Police arrived on the scene, they shot one of the pit bulls immediately and rushed the little girl to the hospital near Charlotte. The girl died of her dog bite wounds. The second dog was killed by a police officer a few hours after the attack.

The two pit bulls that killed the girl had a history with animal control – just last month, the owner was warned to keep his dogs properly penned in their yard. At this time in the investigation, it is unclear why the dogs were not chained or fenced.

While Waxhaw Police Chief Michael Eiss said that the dogs’ owner had not yet been cited or charged with a crime, he stressed that the fatal dog bite investigation was not over and that charges may come at a later date.

Makayla Woodard was laid to rest this weekend. Many attending the funeral commented that the town of Waxhaw only has a leash law – and that they should be considering a pit bull ban or other new laws that could prevent future accidents. Waxhaw authorities commented that the town’s first animal control officer is set to start work as early as February.